[NLRS] Downeast "Club" Buy!!!

[Chris Cox]

Hello Glen.

On Wed, 26 Mar 2003 goverby@charter.net wrote:
> 1. Has anybody local built any of the DEM transverters from a kit?
Yes - many - well, quite a few anyway! - have built up kits from DEMI.  I 
also believe that one or two locals actually assemble stuff for DEMI to 
sell.
 > 
>   1a. How many surface-mounted components are on these boards?  No, I haven't
> soldered any surface mount boards yet.
Depends on the piece of equipment being built.  I'll make an assumption 
that you're thinking about a lower microwave band transverter based on 
your specific question below about commercial power measuring devices for 
23cms.  I built their 1296-144 transverter a couple of years ago.  The 
majority of components were SMD, although none were very, very small and I 
had no major troubles assembling without aid of microscope/magnifying 
glass/etc.  The resistors were probably the smallest devices, followed by 
the RX front-end GaAsFET.  As for quantity, I would guess somewhere in the 
order of 50 - 60 SMD components.

> 
>   1b. Before I go with a kit, I'd like to know what "tweeking and tuning" is
> required to get the kit from components soldered to a board to a working
> transverter?
You should have little, if any, trouble here unless you're contemplating 
either the 5.7 or 10GHz transverters.  Most of the tuned-circuits are in 
the form of printed-circuit striplines and require no adjustment.  For the 
lower frequency (LO/multiplier) stages, coil winding instructions are 
quite straightforward, requiring a small selection of drill bits as coil 
formers.  A frequency counter may be helpful for fine-tuning the LO 
frequency, but all other checkout tests require no more than a multimeter 
(analogue or digital) and perhaps a power meter/dummy load.  The PA stage 
is a non-tunable, epoxy-encased amplifier "brick".  Just solder it in 
place and use it.  It either works or it doesn't!

> 
> My test equipment currently includes a 35mhz oscilliscope, and 2m/1.5m/70cm
> SWR meter.  I doubt that is adequate for tuning or troubleshooting what I'm
> looking at.  What is required, and does anybody locally have that sort of
> equipment?
> 
> 2. What about the TIB kit?  This looks like an easy kit to build and I don't
> expect it to require any after-building tuning.
Don't know, but I would think it's quite simple.

> 3. I can't recall seeing commercial SWR meters for the higher bands (902, 1.2G
> etc).  Where do you get them from, or how do you build them?
They're available.  Choices include the ubiquitous Bird with appropriate 
slugs, Welz/DIamond make variants of their low frequency meters that work 
up to 2.4GHz.  MOst local stores don't carry them (no demand for them, 
donchaknow!) although AES lists them in their catalogue.  SHF Electronics 
may carry them - I don't know.  THere was a number of manufacturers over 
in Region 1 during the early 80's that made amateur grade test equipment 
for the 23 and 13cm bands - they may or may not still be in existence.

> 4. What frequency range do these transverters cover?  That is, 1296 - 144
> obviously covers more than just that one frequency, but their literature
> doesn't indicate what the range actually is.
A small percentage of centre frequency.  The really limiting factor will 
be your i/f rig.  Actually, that's not even true.  As long as your i/f 
radio can tune to 144.1001/-5kHz (maybe 145.100 if going 903.1) - then it 
will be fine...
 > 
> 5. So, what do AOS and and TIB stand for?
TIB - transverter interface box
AOS - Ask Our Sheila
-- 
73  Chris Cox  N0UK, G4JEC, ex-AB0CN, ex-G8PTC  RNARS #1157  EN34jv

chrisc@Chris.Org        Ping Jockey's do it until they HEAR the burn...
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